Billy Loes, who pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers in their World Series-winning year of 1955 and who later became an All-Star, passed away on July 15 at the age of 80.
Loes began his professional career in 1949, going 16-5 with a 2.69 ERA in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ farm system. The very next year, he got a sniff of the big leagues and by 1952 he was a regular on the Dodgers’ pitching staff. He got off to a bang, going 13-8 with a 2.69 ERA in his first full season.
Serving as an integral part of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ pennant winning teams in 1952 and 1953, his and the team’s years of waiting finally paid off when they won the World Series in 1955. Loes pitched one game in that Fall Classic, striking out five in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Following his tenure with the Dodgers, Loes moved on to the Baltimore Orioles in 1956, with whom he spent over three seasons, making the All-Star squad in 1957. He wrapped up his career with the San Francisco Giants, pitching two seasons for them—1960 and 1961.
Loes won 80 games in his major league career, posting a winning percentage of .559. It is not only those statistics that matter, however—perhaps the most important number is the abundance of memories he left in the minds of those thousands of baseball fans who got to see him play.
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The number of living former Brooklyn Dodgers dwindles even further. There are now 59 living former Brooklyn Dodgers remaining. Prior to Loes, the most recent former Brooklyn Dodger to pass away was John Van Cuyk, on July 10.
